If you have or are at risk for diabetes it is essential to control your blood sugar levels through diet and exercise. High blood sugar levels that are not well controlled can lead to blindness, amputations, heart disease and many other complications. Part of a healthy diet to avoid elevated blood sugar levels, means controlling diet soda intake.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates not sugar, are the type of food that tends to raise blood sugar levels the most. If you are trying to keep your blood sugar levels in check, your physician may recommend that you limit the grams of carbohydrates you consume each day. According to the American Diabetes Association, a general goal is to limit intake to 45 to 60 g of carbohydrate at each meal. When choosing foods and beverages, read the nutrition label to determine the total grams of carbohydrate per serving, which includes the sugar, starch, and fiber in the product.
Sugar Substitutes
How your diet soda is sweetened determines if it will affect blood sugar levels. If the beverage is sweetened with an artificial sweetener such as Equal; NutraSweet; Sweet 'N Low, Splenda or others, it most likely will not raise blood sugar levels, reports MayoClinc.com. Natural sweeteners such as date sugar; grape juice concentrate; honey; maple sugar; molasses; agave nectar and sugar alcohols such as lactitol; maltitol; mannitol; sorbitol; xylitol or stevia, do contain calories and carbohydrates, so consuming beverages sweetened with either can raise blood sugar levels. If you are unsure about consuming diet soda, check with a health care provider who can make recommendations.
Weight Gain and Insulin Resistance
While diet sodas that contain artificial sweeteners may not raise blood sugar levels, they should still be consumed in moderation. Drinking too much diet soda may cause the body to crave sweets and lead to overeating. Both can lead to weight gain and weight gain, can contribute to higher blood sugar levels, notes Cleveland Clinic. In addition while more research is needed, the caramel content found in some sodas may possibly lead to insulin resistance, which means the body is not able to utilize insulin properly. When the body can not use insulin, blood sugar levels can rise too high. Those who drink too much diet soda may also have other unhealthy lifestyle behaviors such as being sedentary and eating an unhealthy diet, both of which can also affect blood sugar levels.
Blood Sugar Testing
Each case of diabetes is unique and each person responds to food and beverages differently. Also the amount of exercise you do, stress and other foods consumed can all cause blood sugar levels to be higher or lower than normal. Given this, the only way to know how diet soda affects your blood sugar levels is to test yourself regularly. The Joslin Diabetes Center suggests that regular testing can prevent diabetes complications. Your physician can recommend what range your blood sugar should stay in before and after consuming food and beverages.
